Book Review – Just Kiss Me

04 Thursday Aug 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Book Review, Contest

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Book Review, Just Kiss Me, Rachel Gibson

I see Rachel Gibson’s name and I know I’m in for a good time 🙂

*****

Just Kiss Me

by Rachel Gibson

Release Date: July 26, 2016

Publisher: Avon Books

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: Paperback/Ebook/Audio

Blurb:

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Gibson returns with this dazzling love story filled with sizzle, sass, and just a bit of southern charm . . .

“Hello, Ms. Vivian . . . it’s been a long time.”

And with those words, Vivian Leigh Rochet nearly melted. It’s been years since she last saw Harrison Whitley-Shuler. She was a teenager scrubbing houses for a living. He was the gorgeous son of rich parents, not fit for the likes of her.

Vivian had vowed to get out of Charleston, become a big Hollywood star, and stick it to the snooty girls who made her cry.

She got what she wanted—and more—but why does her glamorous life seem so trivial?

Harrison got out too . . . making it all the way to Wall Street, until a heart attack forced him to trade in his cufflinks for a good set of hand tools.

Making furniture soothes his soul, but escaping the Whitley-Shuler heritage is nearly impossible. And now he’s come face-to-face with the one who got away. He’s not looking for love. He’s not even looking for sex . . . so why is resisting her the hardest thing he’s ever done?

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

*****

Review:

(BTW, I received an advanced copy of this book, which is one of the reasons I love what I do 🙂 In my copy the male lead is Henry but in the blurb it is shown as Harrison. I’m not sure which is right in the the release so I’m going to go with what was in my book.)

This story is so much more than just a romance. Like any good Southern story, there are a lot of family secrets, past hurts, and long held beliefs that need to be re-evaluated.

Vivian is back in town for her mother’s funeral and to put her things to rights before heading back to her life in Hollywood. Unfortunately that also puts her in the sphere of the Whitley-Shulers again, the last place she wants to be. Growing up in their carriage house led to a lot of mixed up feelings and resentment for the wealthy family in the big house. Only things seem much different seen through grown up eyes.

Henry towed the family line for more than 30 years but a heart attack sent him back home to a quiet life. While it isn’t what his mother expects of him, working with his hands makes him happy and he’s managed to make a life that works for him. Until Vivian comes home in all her bigger-than-life glory, throwing things into a tailspin and threatening a lot of long-buried secrets.

Thrown together Henry and Vivian start getting close, pushing each other’s buttons and creating sparks. But while they fight their developing feelings, there’s also the chance to get to know each other as adults – with adult issues but also with adult understanding.

Vivian also gets to know Henry’s mother a little better, seeing her as more than the scary force she was in her young life. Unfortunately it also shows her a new view of her own beloved mother. One that shines a light on some things that she might not want to look at any closer.

I don’t think you can have a South Carolina story without skeletons in the closet and Gibson gives us some doozies. With mint julep charm and a lot of Bless Your Hearts, Just Kiss Me is definitely the perfect summer read and the start of a great new series. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

*****

Author Info:

Rachel Gibson is a New York Timesand USA TODAY bestselling author of fast-paced contemporary romance novels. Publisher’s Weeklyproclaims Rachel’s “clever, snappy dialog amuses at every turn” and “With humor and eloquent prose, Gibson brings substance and depth . . . to modern day romance.”

Four of her novels were named among the Top Ten Favorite Books of The Year by Romance Writers of America. Two of her novels, True Confessions and Not Another Bad Date, were awarded the RITA, Romance Writers of America’s highest honor of excellence. Some of Rachel’s other awards and achievements include The Golden Heart Award, the National Reader’s Choice, Amazon Editor’s Top Pick, Publisher Weekly’s Quill nominee, Borders bestselling romantic comedy and Romantic Time’s Career Achievement award.

When not writing, Rachel can be found shopping for shoes or looking for strange and unusual flowers to plant in her garden.

You can visit her website at http://rachelgibson.com

Goodreads | Facebook

*****

Giveaway:

Avon Books is giving away 3 Print Copies of Just Kiss Me!

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/97a55ed485/

*****

Tour Schedule:

Monday, July 25 – Book reviewed at Stranded in Chaos

Guest blogging at Celebrate with a Book

Book featured at CBY Book Club

Book featured at Harmonious Publicity

Tuesday, July 26 – Book featured at Bound 2 Escape

Book reviewed at 3 Partners in Shopping

Book featured at Just Us Book Blog

Wednesday, July 27 – Book featured at Authors and Readers Book Corner

Book reviewed at Doing Some Reading

Book featured at E-Romance News

Thursday, July 28 – Book reviewed at Becky on Books

Book featured at The Bookworm Lodge

Book reviewed at Pretty Sassy Cool

Friday, July 29 – Book featured at Booklover Sue

Book reviewed at Written Love Reviews

Book featured at Write and Take Flight

Monday, August 1 – Book reviewed at Our Families Adventure

Book reviewed at ReadsandReviews

Book featured at Mello and June

Tuesday, August 2 – Book reviewed at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Book reviewed at Ashley’s Bookshelf

Book reviewed at Deal Sharing Aunt

Wednesday, August 3 – Book reviewed at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Book featured at What is That Book About

Book featured at A Title Wave

Thursday, August 4 – Interviewed at Whispering Stories

Book reviewed at I’m Shelf-ish

Book featured at A Taste of My Mind

Book reviewed at Romantic Reads and Such

Friday, August 5 – Book reviewed at Us Girls and Books

Book reviewed at Pretty Little Book Reviews

Book featured at Socrates Book Reviews

Book reviewed at What Is That Book About

Book reviewed at What I’m Reading

Spotlight – Brodie’s Gamble

03 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour, Sneak Peek

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Brodie's Gamble, MacLarens of Boundary Mountain series, Shirleen Davies

We met Colin, now it is time for the next MacLaren … come get to know Brodie everyone!

*****

Brodie’s Gamble

Book Two, MacLarens of Boundary Mountain

Historical Western Romance Series

by Shirleen Davies

Blurb:

“Every book of Shirleen’s never fails to draw me in and make it impossible to put down until I devour it!”

Brodie MacLaren has a dream. He yearns to wear the star—bring the guilty to justice and protect those who are innocent. In his mind, guilty means guilty, even when it includes a beautiful woman who sets his body on edge.

Maggie King lives a nightmare, wanting nothing more than to survive each day and recapture the life stolen from her. Each day she wakes and prays for escape. Taking the one chance she may ever have, Maggie lashes out, unprepared for the rising panic as the man people believe to be her husband lies motionless at her feet.

Deciding innocence and guilt isn’t his job.

Brodie’s orderly, black and white world spins as her story of kidnapping and abuse unfold. The fact nothing adds up as well as his growing attraction to Maggie cause doubts the stoic lawman can’t afford to embrace.

Can a lifetime of believing in absolute right and wrong change in a heartbeat?

Maggie has traded one form of captivity for another. Thoughts of escape consume her, even as feelings for the handsome, unyielding lawman grow.

As events unfold, Brodie must fight more than his attraction. Someone is after Maggie—a real threat who is out to silence her.

He’s challenged on all fronts—until he takes a gamble that could change his life or destroy his heart.

Brodie’s Gamble, book two in the MacLarens of Boundary Mountain historical western romance series, is a full-length novel with an HEA.

*****

Excerpt:

“How old were you when you met Stoddard?” He hadn’t meant to ask the question, didn’t need to know more about her than he already did. Maggie’s age didn’t matter. It only mattered that he held her as a suspect in a murder.

“Eighteen. I’m twenty now.” She spoke with a staid calmness, as if detached, speaking of someone else. “I wish I could tell you the time flew by, but that would be a lie.” This time, her voice held the bitterness he expected. Closing her eyes to still the moisture beginning to pool, she sucked in a deep breath.

He didn’t know what triggered his quick response—her shaky voice, the tremble of her body, or the tears she couldn’t hide—but he reached out, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her close. Splaying his hands across her back, he rested his chin on top of her head as she settled her cheek against his chest.

“Shhh, lass. He can no longer hurt you.” Brodie’s heart pounded, his chest tightening at the same time he tried to provide her comfort. He couldn’t imagine the horrors she’d been through. If Arnie weren’t already dead, it would’ve taken all the strength Brodie possessed to not kill the man himself. Feeling the tears soak through his shirt, he drew back, lifting her chin with a finger.

“You must try to believe it will be all right, Maggie.”

Her glassy blue eyes stared up at him as the faintest sliver of hope crossed her face. A hope he could encourage or dash with a rash word or careless gesture.

“Do you truly think it will work out for me?”

Brodie didn’t know what more to say. Instead, he did the most foolish thing imaginable. Lowering his head, he brushed a gentle kiss across her lips, feeling her tense, then relax against him. He kissed her again, losing himself in the taste and feel of her.

Awareness of the colossal mistake he was making sliced through Brodie an instant before he tightened his hold, fitting Maggie snuggly to his body, his lips pressed against hers, claiming her mouth with fierce desire.

Her heart thundered and stomach churned as Brodie continued his gentle assault. The warmth of his body, the hardness of his chest and muscled arms sheltered her at the same time heat ripped through her, as if she were engulfed in a circle of flames.

Brodie couldn’t get her close enough. He wanted to lift her into his arms, carry her to his bed, and lay her down. Kiss every inch of her body, caress…

He pulled back, his abrupt departure causing her to whimper as she buried her face against his throat. They had to stop. He had to stop. The madness, which gripped him moments before, gave way to guilt and self-loathing. How could he have surrendered so completely to the charms of one woman? A woman who’d done nothing except look to him for help?

Setting her aside, he straightened, steeling his features. “We need to go back.” He could see the slight shiver of her body as she swayed toward him. “Now, Miss King. You need to get back in your cell, and I need to get back to my work.”

The hurt in her eyes did nothing to dispel the remorse he felt. He’d crossed a line, and he could blame it on no one except himself.

*****

Author Info:

Shirleen Davies writes romance—historical, contemporary, and romantic suspense. She grew up in Southern California, attended Oregon State University, and has degrees from San Diego State University and the University of Maryland. During the day she provides consulting services to small and mid-sized businesses. But her real passion is writing emotionally charged stories of flawed people who find redemption through love and acceptance. She now lives with her husband in a beautiful town in northern Arizona.

*****

Tour Schedule:

July 19^th

CBY Book Club

http://www.cbybookclub.blogspot.co.uk

July 20^th

Lola White

www.lola-white.com

July 22^nd

Hyper Ashley

http://www.hyperashley.com/

July 25^th

Romance Novel Giveaways

http://romancenovelgiveaways.blogspot.com/

Reading to Unwind

http://readingtounwind.blogspot.com/

July 26^th

CD Yess Writes

cdyesswritesblog.wordpress.com

July 27^th

Happy Tails and Tales

http://happytailsandtales.blogspot.com/

July 28^th

Deal Sharing Aunt

http://dealsharingaunt.blogspot.hr/

August 1^st

Mel’s Shelves

http://www.melsshelves.blogspot.com

August 2^nd

Reading to Unwind

http://readingtounwind.blogspot.com/

August 3^rd

Romantic Reads

https://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com

August 4^th

Natural Bri

T: @natural_bri

FB: www.facebook.com/naturalbripage

August 5^th

Boom Baby Reviews

http://www.boombabyreviews.com/

August 8^th

Cafinated Reads

http://cafinatedreads.com/

August 9^th

Hollow Unrest

http://iqurae.blogspot.com/

August 10^th

A Passion for Romance

http://www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com/

August 11^th

Apocalipstick the Book

https://apocalipstickthebook.wordpress.com/

August 12^th

Books and Banter

http://locglin.blogspot.com

Spotlight – Torn Ends

02 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Blog Tour

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Magnolia series, Taylor Dawn, Torn Ends

I love the idea of a hero in need of a second chance, one who is looking for a new start and the woman who is there to help him.

*****

Torn Ends

Magnolia Series Volume 3

by Taylor Dawn

Now Available

#99cents #KindleUnlimited #Romance

Blurb:

Damon ‘Dash’ Hunter had one thing on his mind…freedom. After being incarcerated for a crime he never meant to commit, Dash vows to lead his life under the radar. The one thing he needed was family and the only family he had left was his sister, Gracie. Upon deciding to relocate from Chicago to Biloxi Mississippi to be with his sister, Dash jumps on his Harley and makes the long journey south. His travels are soon interrupted by the likes of a sassy brunette on the side of the road with a flat tire. Offering to help her, Dash finds more than just a spare in the trunk of her car. He can’t help but offering his assistance to show her how to properly use those naughty toys stowed away in her car.

Brandi Fairfield had a habit of dating guys who were bad for her even though sometimes bad could be so good. Just as she decides she’s ready to find a respectable man, a bad boy she can’t seem to resist rolls up and helps her change a flat tire. Everything about him has warning signs but she once again throws caution to the wind. But soon she learns the truth about the new guy in town. Can she push aside her disbelief and help him clear up his wrongs. Or will the threat of his past tear a hole in the very fabric they’ve woven together.

Follow Dash and Brandi as they continue the Magnolia Series by International Best-Selling Author, Taylor Dawn.

#99cents

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Available on Kindle Unlimited for #FREE

*****

Other Titles in the Magnolia Series

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

*****

Author Info:

International Bestselling Author Taylor Dawn (formerly writing as C.D. Taylor) began writing as an item to check off her bucket list. She resides in the southernmost part of Illinois, right on the mighty Mississippi river. She enjoys the quiet country life with her husband, son and the many farm animals that make up the rest of the family. Deciding that farm life was just a little too mundane, Taylor began writing romance and fantasy to liven things up, so far so good. Before starting her writing career, Taylor entered the field of cosmetology. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found sitting around a table making people laugh. She has always wanted to be a standup comic. She loves pulling practical jokes, dresses up in a costume every Halloween and believes that dancing is the key to a happy life (even if you aren’t a good dancer). She believes that life shouldn’t be taken too seriously, we will never get out alive anyway. More than anything, she is a kid at heart, she doesn’t believe in bedtimes, eating everything on her plate, or having ice cream only for dessert. Her favorite quote is by Dr. Seuss…”Why fit in, when you were born to stand out.” You can find Taylor at taylordawn-author.com

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

*****

Tour provided by Nell’s PR & Marketing